Maria Corina Machado at a Venezuelan opposition rally in Caracas on January 10, 2025. Photo: Jimmy Villalta/ZUMA Press Wire/S / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
Venezuela's opposition leader and recent Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado expressed her support for Israel in a phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister's office said, according to Reuters.
Machado welcomed the return of Israeli hostages under the Gaza ceasefire agreement and praised Israel's actions against Iran, which he described as a common threat to both countries, the statement said.
Netanyahu congratulated Machado on winning the Nobel Prize and praised her efforts to promote democracy and peace.
Machado has previously said that if her movement comes to power, she would move Venezuela's embassy from Israel to Jerusalem, a position similar to that of pro-Israel Latin American leaders such as Argentine President Javier Milei and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Most countries keep their embassies in Tel Aviv, avoiding Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim as the capital of a future independent state.
Machado has long sought to bring Venezuela closer to Israel and Netanyahu, positioning himself in opposition to the current Venezuelan government, which maintains relations with Iran and other opponents of Israel.
A spokesperson for Maria Corina Machado did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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